Incomplete
by carenicoleIQ
Summary: Set after season 3. Jude made her decision but regrets it. In the meantime Tommy is coming to terms with her choice. Jommy. Fewshot.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Incomplete  
Rating: R for eventual sexual situation  
Author: Carenicole  
Disclaimer: I don't own instant star or the characters  
Summary: Part of my own Instant Star Universe. A few-shot prequel to "Everything I Have". This is my own version of what happened after season 3. It doesn't really follow any of the spoilers or anything for Season 4. Read on to find out more!

Part 1

"Okay, guys. Why don't you take a break, relax for a few? We can meet back here in fifteen," Jude said into the small mic. The band members on the other side of the glass nodded enthusiastically and she got up from where she was seated in front of the soundboard.

She made her way out of the small studio and went directly to the makeshift kitchen of NBR studios. For the last six months she'd been working as one of NBR's main producers. Paegan and Jamie's fledgling recording studio had signed several hot new artists, including the band Jude was currently producing.

She grabbed a chipped mug from the cupboard and set about making herself a cup of hot tea. As the tea steeped she leaned back against the cupboard, her eyes darting to the small TV on the counter top. The volume was muted but the channel was set to an entertainment news station. Normally Jude didn't pay attention to celebrity news, especially because she'd been working pretty hard to avoid the media spotlight after a fairly disastrous TV interview on one of the morning shows. The shows' host had made Jude cry on live TV and it had been all anyone had talked about. She got a steady stream of calls and requests for other interviews after that; all of which she politely declined. The only person she really wanted to talk to had disappeared from her life almost six months ago.

Jude sighed and took a sip of her tea. She missed Tommy. And with each passing day, her regret became more acute. She'd chosen Jamie because he was safe and she was afraid. But the minute the choice was made she knew that it wasn't right. By then it was too late, Tommy was gone and no one knew how to reach him.

Jamie forgave Jude and they started working together, the venture successful so far. Jude was happy with what she was doing, even though her third album sat, incomplete. Deep down she was afraid that it would never be finished, not when she felt so restless and empty.

Her attention was drawn to the flashing TV again and Jude almost dropped her mug in surprise. Darius' face flashed on screen and the camera panned back to the show a panel of five men seated behind a table, microphone in front of them. It was Boyz Attack and in the middle of the group sat Tom Quincy.

She hastily set her tea down and grabbed for the TV remote, unmuting the sound.

"In exciting news," the E! news host announced. "Darius Mills, owner of G-Major Records, announced that Boyz Attack has decided to reunite. All the former band members have been secretly working together on a new album. Here's the press conference from earlier today." The show cut to the press conference; a blur of questions and flash photography. 

"What motivated you guys to get back together?" a reporter threw out.

Tommy was leaning back in his chair. He looked uncomfortable, like he didn't really want to be there. That aside he was definitely a sight for sore eyes and Jude drank the image in, admiring his expertly tousled hair and the way his stubble made him look dangerously sexy. He was wearing a familiar leather jacket; his favorite sunglasses were on the table in front of him.

Chaz answered the first question. "We were all thrilled when Darius suggested it. We've missed performing for the fans."

Darius pointed at another reporter. "Tommy, you were the one that split off from the group before. Why the change of heart?"

Tommy leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on the table. "Darius can be pretty persuasive," he said into the mic and then leaned back to resume his position.

Darius piped in. "Tom's been instrumental in getting this comeback off the ground. He's done ninety percent of the song writing for the new songs on the album and the fans are going to love it."

"When does the album's first single drop?" Someone shouted over the din of questions.

"Next Tuesday. It's going to have Boyz Attack's greatest hits and the new songs. We're going to premiere the single and the other new songs at a private VIP concert the Monday before," Darius explained.

Jude watched, completely stunned. How could this be happening? Tommy had sworn that he'd never reunite with Boyz Attack after the nearly disastrous charity concert and yet here he was.

"Jude, how's it going?" Jamie asked as he entered the kitchen.

Jude barely nodded, unable to answer. She couldn't tear her gaze away from the TV.

Jamie noticed where Jude's attention was directed and his jaw tightened.

"Jude…"

She interrupted him before he could launch into one of his pep talk speeches. "Jamie, I'm going to need to cancel the rest of today's recording session. I-I can't do this today."

She left her tea on the counter and rushed past Jamie to grab her things. She had some phone calls to make.

The press conference had been a new version of hell. It had been years since he was last subjected to one and he found that the spotlight had most definitely lost its appeal, especially when one didn't have a choice.

Tommy was relieved when he reached his apartment and planned on doing nothing but hiding for the next 24 hours, because after that his life was going to belong to Darius. Rehearsals for the concert were set to start, not to mention the scheduled appearances and interviews to promote the concert and album. Tommy doubted he'd be getting any kind of decent sleep in the next month.

But none of that mattered, because he owed Darius, big time.

Truthfully, Tommy would be glad for the breakneck pace. If he was busy, he wouldn't have time to think. And thinking was bad lately, especially because his thoughts always wandered to Jude.

It had been six months and the ache in his chest still hadn't faded. It had been present ever since that day he'd boarded the plane alone and known that he'd lost her. He knew Jamie had something to do with it and at first he'd been angry with her for being so fickle, for telling him she loved him and convincing him to be with her and then running away when he said it back. Granted, his track record wasn't the best and that kiss with Sadie had hurt her. He knew that he'd messed up, but she hadn't given him much of a chance to fix things between them. He wanted to stay angry with her, but he couldn't, and because he loved her, he just wanted her to be happy and if that meant Jude being with Jamie, then so be it.

He had spent his whole trip to Asia expecting to come home and hear all about the happy couple. Instead he'd been informed that Jude was single and Jamie was dating Paegan's daughter. For weeks he debated about calling her. He might have if Darius hadn't called in the favor Tom owed him and then sequestered him with the rest of the members of Boyz Attack to write and produce the new album.

His heart really hadn't been in it. He was no longer the same naïve kid that wanted to strut his stuff for the female fans. He was a grown man and he'd had his heart broken. The things he wrote about now were more mature, deeper than the teeny-bop pop that had made the band famous. And Tommy wasn't the only one who had changed. When he let the rest of the guys listen to the new stuff he'd been working on they immediately liked the new direction he wanted to take the music.

Darius wasn't as easy to convince, but after they finished several tracks, he went along with it. Tommy was actually pretty pleased with what they'd done. And now the album was weeks away from being released. He thought maybe writing those songs would help him start to move on, but even after six months, that just didn't seem possible. She was still there, stuck inside of him, driving everything he did.

It didn't help that he was a masochist, that he kept a picture of her, of them, by his bed and on his refrigerator. About a month ago he'd found out she was doing an interview with the Toronto morning show, to discuss her Juno nomination and so he'd Tivoed it. Five weeks later he was still getting up in the middle of the night to watch it.

Tommy grabbed a beer from his fridge and settled onto his leather couch. It wasn't the middle of the night but he flipped on the TV and hit the remote button that brought up the Tivo list. He ignored the old episode of Grey's Anatomy and scrolled to Jude's interview.

The show started and Tommy hit fast forward to the part where the host introduced Jude. She came out on stage, waving at the audience as they screamed and clapped for her.

She'd gotten her hair cut. The first time he saw it, he'd been surprised. It made her look so much older, more mature. Still beautiful.

The host droned on, highlighting Jude's career and congratulating her on her Juno nomination. 

_"So tell us what you've been up to. It's been almost a year and a half since your sophmore album 'Learning Curve' was released and went double platinum. What's been going on?"_

Jude smiled. _"The album just did better than I could have ever imagined. In fact the song 'There's Us' is still working its way through the top 40. So that's pretty great."_

_"I think your fans think so too. In fact there's been a lot of clamoring for details on when your third album might be released,"_ the host commented.

_"Well, the next album is already in process. Some of it is done, but production kind of came to halt awhile back and so I've been taking a bit of a break from the recording studio. At least as far as my own music goes. Right now I'm producing the debut album for a new band that was just signed to NBR, which is Paegan Smith's new record label."_ She was wearing her favorite brown boots and her leg jiggled nervously as she spoke.  
_  
"So you're no longer under contract with G-major?"_

"No…No, I'm still signed with G-major," she corrected.

_"There have been a few rumors that you've had some creative differences with Darius Mills. Any truth to that?"_

Jude shifted uncomfortably in her spot on the couch and ruffled her hair, another one of her nervous gestures. _"Darius and I have a really good working relationship. As I'm sure everyone is aware, there was some G-Major drama awhile back and D and I both felt that a break might be good."_

"You've managed to keep a pretty low profile since the 'drama' you mentioned. A lot of the fans were shocked when they heard about that attempt on your life after the fur incident. How have you recovered?"  
_  
"Oh, wow. Uhm…first I have to say that the fan support has been great. I wouldn't be here with out that. As far as recovering, I've just had a really good network of friends."_

The host smiled and went in for the kill. _"Does that still include Tom Quincy?"_

Jude's smile faded and she looked surprised. _"What?"_

_"For a long time you and former Boyz Attacker Tommy Quincy seemed inseparable. There were even some romance rumors. Lots of people want to know what happened to 'Jommy' as you've been dubbed by the fans and media."_

Jude stuttered, _"I-I…"_

_"We have a clip here from the MTV show that you did." _The show cut to the clip of Jude and Tommy in the alley behind G-Major where Jude told the camera how Tommy opened her soul and brought out the real music.

The morning show cut back from the clip then and focused on Jude's startled face. She hastily wiped her eyes, but not soon enough to hide the tears. A stray tear escaped down her cheek as she calmly told the host that her relationship with Tom Quincy was personal.

_"Even so, he helped produce your second album. If you win the Juno will you be thanking him?"_

Again, Jude looked surprised by the question, her eyes still bright with unshed tears. _"Of course I would thank him. He's been one of the biggest inspirations in my life, that album wouldn't be what it is without him."_

Tommy stopped the Tivo playback. Watching it again, even though he'd done so at least a hundred times, still managed to get to him. She looked amazing, but still sad. When he'd walked away, he'd only done it because he thought she'd chosen what made her happy. Her tears from the interview haunted him and gave him the smallest bit of hope. Maybe there was still a chance.

He'd find out when the new Boyz Attack single was released. It had been a last minute addition, inspired by Jude's interview. She'd know it was for her the minute she heard it; what he wasn't sure of was if it would even matter.

"I need to get tickets for the Boyz Attack concert," Jude told her sister.

They were having lunch together and Sadie had barely been seated when Jude made her statement.

"Uh, excuse me? Did you just say you wanted tickets for the Boyz Attack concert?" Sadie's eyebrows arched in confusion.

"Yes. You still work at G-Major. Can you get them from Darius?"

Sadie sighed. "Jude, Darius is barely in the office anymore. And besides he told me I wasn't allowed to relay messages from you anymore. He wants you to call him."

Jude sighed and hunched down in her seat. "I can't. He's going to yell at me. I've been AWOL from G-Major for six months. And I've ignored all of my publicist's calls since that disaster of an interview."

Sadie patted Jude's hand sympathetically. "Jude, that interview was not a disaster. They ambushed you, caught you off guard. You're human, it happens."

"Sadie, I cried over Tom Quincy in front of millions of viewers," Jude protested.

"I'm sure you're not the only girl to ever cry over Tom Quincy on live TV," Sadie offered as she took a sip of Jude's lemonade.

"Not helping, Sades."

"Sorry," she paused. "You should call him. He's obviously back now."

Their conversation was interrupted as the waitress took their order.

"Don't you think I tried that? He never returned any of my messages. He obviously wants nothing to do with me." Jude rested her elbows on the table and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"So, going to the concert is going to do what? You hate Boyz Attack's music and you used to tell Tommy that constantly while you teased him about his parachute pants," Sadie pointed out.

Jude smirked. "But he looked so cute in them." Her smile faded. "I just want to see him, maybe try to talk to him in person. I don't know. Maybe I just need closure?"

Later that night, as Jude paced around her apartment, she broke down and did something that she'd been avoiding for months.

She called Darius Mills.

She continued to pace as it rang, walking the length of her couch, back and forth until…

"Well, well, well, to what do I owe this long overdue call?" Darius' voice boomed over the phone.

"Hi D. Uhm…it's Jude…but you already know that. Uhm…sorry it's been so long."

"And that you haven't returned any of my phone calls and that you are currently in breach of contract. Did you want me to go on?" D asked.

"Uh, no. I think you covered it." Jude sat down on the edge of the couch.

"I'm calling," she hesitated and Darius cut in.

"I'm a very busy man, Jude. You better be calling to tell me that you'll be at the studio bright and early to finish recording your album."

Jude sighed. "I really wish that were the case, D. The truth is…I uh, haven't written anything new for, well, for awhile."

There was a pause. "I was afraid of that. So why did you really call? Because I know it wasn't just to chat."

Jude held her breath and then expelled it all at once as she blurted, "I need tickets to the Boyz Attack concert on Tuesday."

She waited and then… Darius Mills laughed. And he continued to laugh until he grew serious and answered her with a very definitive "No."

"No?"

"I said, 'No', Jude. I won't have you there, causing a distraction," Darius explained.

"I am not a distraction 'causer'," Jude protested lamely.

"Tommy's on his game right now, Jude. The guys are getting ready to tour again. I don't want you interfering while we're trying to promote the new album. And you will most definitely be a distraction." He went on, "I don't know what went down between you and T but you shouldn't be letting it ruin your career. It's like you've thrown away what Tommy did for you."

Jude stopped pacing at Darius' words. "What do you mean, what Tommy did for me?"

There was another pause. "I gotta go, Jude. Don't call me again unless you're planning to get your scrawny ass back into the studio."

He hung up, leaving Jude staring at the phone. "My ass is not scrawny," she mumbled as she tossed the phone aside onto the couch. 

"I want to be sure that the volume levels on the strings section come up here," Tommy explained to the sound engineer. They were doing a mini rehearsal for Monday night with all of the musicians. Tom took charge of checking the levels and making sure all the instruments were in tune. The other Boyz Attackers were practicing the harmonies on the new songs.

"Still gotta be in charge, I see," a voice said from behind him. Tommy turned and a grin spread across his face. He stepped forward.

"Long time, no see, man." He and Kwest shared a 'guy' hug and a slap on the shoulder.

"You've obviously been busy," Kwest commented and nodded towards the stage.

"Yeah, well…" Tommy shrugged.

"You got time to grab a burger with me? Maybe catch up?" Kwest asked.

"Yeah. Give me a minute." Tom turned back toward the stage and asked if they'd all be cool to take a dinner break and meet back up in an hour. The group agreed and he grabbed his leather jacket and followed Kwest to his car.

He sat in the passenger seat and immediately reached for the radio controls. The car filled with Jude's voice and Tommy froze as White Lines played.

Kwest flipped it to a radio station and offered his friend a sheepish shrug. "Sorry about that. Sadie likes to listen to Jude's disc."

"Don't apologize. I've got a copy in my CD player at home. It's a good album. She's probably going to win a Juno for it."

Kwest nodded and grinned. "Yeah, my money's on your girl."

Tommy shook his head. "She's not my girl anymore." He turned his head to look out the window, watching the scenery. Both men were silent; the only sound in the car the radio.

They didn't really talk again until they were seated in a familiar diner, a place they used to go to all the time when they needed a break from the studio.

The waitress brought their drinks and the silence became too much for Tommy. "So what's been going on with you? Last time we talked you and Sadie were headed to Mexico." Tommy took a drink and watched Kwest grin. 

"That good, huh?" he joked.

Kwest laughed. "Yeah, it was good." His face grew serious. "I think I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Tommy's eyes widened with surprise. "Really? Wow. That's kind of …wow."

"The last few months have been pretty amazing. We moved in together after their Dad sold the house and took that job in Montreal."

"Stuart sold the house?" The shock on Tommy's face was apparent and Kwest realized that his friend didn't really know anything that had gone down the last few months.

"He got a job offer that he couldn't pass up. Jude wanted to buy the house but the bulk of her money is in a trust Stuart set up for her when she won Instant Star. I think she was pretty upset when he wouldn't help her work it out. Sadie was upset too, but she agreed with her Dad that she didn't want Jude to live in the house all alone. So now she's got her own secured apartment near NBR."

Tommy nodded. "Jamie and Paegan's new label. She's…uh working for them now, right?" He ate a French fry and took another drink of soda as Kwest hesitated.

"Yeah, that's right," he finally said.

Tommy looked up from his food. "It's okay to talk about her. I won't fall apart. She was a big part of my life for three years. It's bound to come up, especially when she's your future fiancé's sister."

Kwest nodded and another long pause followed as they both continued to eat. They made some idle chatter about things. Tommy asked how Kwest liked the motorcycle and told his friend about the new car he'd gotten. "It's all about hybrids now," he explained as he described his purchase.

"Whatever happened to the Viper? Did you give that away too?" Kwest leaned back in his chair, more relaxed than earlier now that they'd eaten and reestablished their old camaraderie.

"Uh…no. I sold that." Tommy looked away nervously and signaled the waitress for the check.

"I never thought I'd see the day you'd part with that. She was your baby…" Kwest paused and a look of realization crossed his face. "Is that how you bought Jude's music catalogue?"

Tommy shook his head. When he realized Kwest wasn't going to change the subject he gave in. "I used the money from the car to pay off Hunter, to get him to stay away from Jude. Although that didn't exactly work."

"You really would do anything for her." There was awe and understanding in Kwest's voice at Tommy's confession.

"You have no idea," and then because he needed to talk to someone, he told Kwest the rest of the story.

"The music catalogue…I sort of made a deal with the devil to get it," he told his friend.

"That's the reason your doing Boyz Attack again, isn't it?"

He didn't need to answer that for Kwest to know it was true.

Now Kwest shook his head. "Does Jude know how much you love her?"

Tommy raked his hands through his hair. "I told her. But…I don't know, maybe she didn't believe me. She doesn't know about any of this other stuff though, so don't…"

"Maybe you should tell her," Kwest suggested.

Tommy shook his head no. "She doesn't want to be with me. And that's fine. I didn't do those things so she'd take me back. I did them to protect her, to make sure she's happy."

"Yeah, but your miserable."

"Do you think I want to still love her? I've tried to forget her for the last six months but the most I've managed is to be angry with her for being so…so 18, ya know? But the problem with that is that I understand it. I was 18 and married and I get it. I warned her that I was messed up and that it wouldn't work, but she insisted that she didn't care and that she loved me. But I should have known better. If it was real she wouldn't have been able to just turn around and run to another guy like what we had meant nothing." He knew that he was ranting but it had been a long time since he'd had anyone to talk to.

"You know she's not with Jamie, right?"

Tom nodded. "It doesn't change that she didn't pick me. I told her that I wanted her to be happy and she picked a life without me to do that."  
Kwest sighed. "I probably shouldn't tell you this but, Sadie told me Jude hasn't written anything since you left. Not a single word or note."

Tommy's head shot up in surprise. "She's not writing? She's always writing. Its how she expresses everything she's feeling. If you want to know what's going on in her life you just have hear one of her songs."

"Well, she hasn't been feeling much of anything. No new songs. All she does is work, sleep and occasionally eat dinner with Sadie and I, but only because Sadie drags her to our place."

It was too much for him to take, to hear that she'd thrown it away, that she wasn't making music anymore. "I gotta go," Tommy mumbled and got up from the table.

"I'll drive you back," Kwest offered and started to get up, but Tommy stopped him.

"No…I need to walk," he paused. "Listen, uh, let me know when the wedding is. I'll send a gift." He offered his friend a weak smile and left the diner, walking as quickly as he could, trying to get away from everything he'd just learned.

TBC...let me know if you guys like it and want more!


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

"Ugh!" Jude screamed as she brushed past Sadie and entered the apartment her sister shared with Kwest. "Darius won't answer any of my calls," she said as she threw her whole body onto the couch.

Sadie stood over her, silent.

Jude's arm draped casually over the armrest and she looked up at her sister. "What's with the serious face?"

Sadie started to pace in front of the couch and Jude realized that whatever was going on was actually, maybe, important. She swung her legs off the couch and sat up. "What's going on, Sades? When you said to come over I thought it was just to hang out…" Her voice trailed off as Sadie continued to pace and wring her hands together.

"Uhm, do I have to guess?" Jude asked. When Sadie didn't immediately answer, Jude blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Are you pregnant?"

That got Sadie's attention and she stopped pacing and looked at Jude like she'd lost her mind. "This isn't about me, Jude. It's about you."

"Well, I'm definitely not pregnant," Jude joked.

Sadie groaned and sank down on the couch next to her sister. "I'm not supposed to tell you any of this, because Kwest swore me to secrecy, but I have to tell you because you're my sister and I think that this is detrimental to your happiness." She took a deep breath. "Kwest had dinner with Tommy last night." She expelled the words quickly, almost too quickly for Jude to catch them, but she did.

"What?" Her eyes got big. "Kwest saw Tommy? How is it that Kwest can get a hold of him, but I can't even get tickets to his stupid reunion concert?"

"Jude, I…don't you…well," Sadie fumbled over her words. "I think there's something you should know before you just show up at the concert."

Jude's stomach bottomed out. "You make it sound like my wanting to see him is a bad thing," she interjected. Secretly she was worried. What if he'd moved on? What if she hadn't really meant anything to him and he was married to some harlot he met in Asia?

"It's not necessarily a bad thing; it's just…well, what are your intentions?" Sadie asked.

Jude looked at her sister like she was crazy. "Since when are you Quincy's mother?"

"Jude…"

She sighed in frustration. "I don't know the answer to that," she admitted.

"Then," Sadie went on, "maybe you shouldn't just pop back into his life," she suggested, offering her best motherly advice.

"Where is this coming from?"

"Look, this didn't come from me, but you should know that Tommy really loves you," she started.

Jude's gaze rested on her hands as Sadie spoke. "I know," she whispered.

"No, I mean, the guy really loves you, Jude. When all of that stuff with Hunter went down, he begged Darius to protect you and then he sold the Viper and used the money to try to get Hunter to leave you alone."

Jude's hands started to shake. "He loves that car," she choked out.

"But he loves you more."

"Oh god…when he came to the restaurant and told me…I didn't know if I could trust…"

"That's not all," Sadie added.

Jude's eyes went wide with disbelief. "There's more?"

"He got your music catalogue back."

Jude nodded. "He wouldn't tell me how he got Darius to give it to him. He said it didn't matter because he'd do anything…"

"Even rejoin a boyband and relive a part of his life that he tried to leave behind," Sadie finished.

Jude squeezed her eyes shut at the words; silent tears escaped from beneath her eyelids. Tommy had pretty much sold himself to Darius for her and he'd done it not knowing that she'd even want to be with him. He'd done it just because he loved her.

"Sadie, what do I do?" she asked through her tears.

"You have to know what you want, Jude. Don't go to that concert unless you're absolutely sure that you want to be with him," Sadie advised.

"What if it's too late?" Jude sniffled, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"That's just a chance you'll have to take. Sort of like the one he took."

Jude blindly got up from the couch and grabbed her bag from the floor. She needed some time to think, to process everything she'd just learned.

An hour later she found herself at the old rehearsal space. She hadn't been there in months and it felt strange and yet just like she was coming home. She knew that Speed and the other SME guys still hung out there, but not as much. They were all busy with their own lives.

As she looked around the empty space she took a deep breath before settling down on the floor cushions. Her guitar, the spare one, was still there and she set it next to her. Then she reached into her bag and pulled out her journal.

She'd lied to everyone when she said she hadn't written anything. She'd written lots of things, some of it complete crap, most of it about how she really felt about Tommy and herself and everything that had happened in the last year. It wasn't the same kind of music she'd written in the past. It was darker, deeper; a part of herself that she wasn't sure she wanted to share with anyone.

She opened the notebook and skimmed through pages of her scribbles. A particular song caught her attention. She'd written it two months ago after hundreds of unreturned calls.

Grabbing her guitar she started to strum the opening chords. Her voice cracked as she began to sing but she kept going. She needed to do this.

_Hear me  
Hear me_

_You gotta be out there  
You gotta be somewhere  
Wherever you are  
I'm waiting  
'Cause there are these nights when  
I sing myself to sleep  
And I'm hopin' my dreams  
Bring you close to me  
Are you listening?_

_Hear me  
I'm cryin' out  
I'm ready now  
Turn my world upside down  
Find me  
I'm lost inside the crowd  
It's getting loud  
I need you to see  
I'm screaming for you to please  
Hear me  
Hear me_

_I used to be scared of  
Letting someone in  
But it gets so lonely  
Being on my own  
No one to talk to  
And no one to hold me  
I'm not always strong  
Oh, I need you here  
Are you listening?_

_Hear me  
I'm cryin' out  
I'm ready now  
Turn my world upside down  
Find me  
I'm lost inside the crowd  
It's getting loud  
I need you to see  
I'm screaming for you to please  
Hear me_

_I'm restless and wild  
I fall, but I try  
I need someone to understand  
Can you hear me?  
I'm lost in my thoughts  
And baby I've fought  
For all that I've got  
Can you hear me?_

_Hear me  
I'm cryin' out  
I'm ready now  
Turn my world upside down  
Find me  
I'm lost inside the crowd  
It's getting loud  
I need you to see  
I'm screaming for you to please  
Hear me_

As the last notes faded out, slow clapping filled the room and Jude was surprised to see Jamie standing by the door. His gaze was intense and a little sad.

"You're writing again," he finally said as he entered the room more fully.

Jude nodded and looked down at the guitar in her hands.

Jamie made his way over to her and sat down next to her on the floor.

"You're not happy, Jude. We all see it," he said softly.

"No, it's not like that. I love producing," she insisted.

"Yeah, but you love writing your own music more and you've been hiding from that for months." He paused. "That song is great. A little dark, but great, and it proves that you don't need Tommy to come up with hit songs."

Jude shook her head. He didn't understand. "It's not about that, Jamie."

"It's always about Tommy, Jude. Sadie once told me to never get between you two. She said you'd always pick each other. When you didn't go with him to Asia, I thought maybe things would change. And they did, but not in a good way. Maybe you don't need him to help you write great music. You do that well enough on your own. But maybe you do need him, if you want to have a happy life."

Jude wiped at her eyes to try and stop the tears that threatened to fall. "He hurt me Jamie and I…I hurt him too, even after everything he's done for me."

Jamie put his arm around Jude's shoulder and she rested her head against him. "Sometimes it's hard to remember that the people we love the most are the ones that can hurt us the most easily, because we share so much of ourselves with them." He sighed. "After all the stuff that went down last year, we were both pretty confused. I was still hurting from Patsy and you, well, you let your pride get in the way when it came to dealing with Tommy. It clouded both our judgment."

Jude pinched him in the side.

"What?" he yelped. "You did. If you would have just listened to the guy, maybe you two could have worked things out and you both wouldn't be pining from a distance and ruining your lives."

"Melodramatic much?" Jude asked.

"Think about it, you've jeopardized your music career by violating your G-Major contract and Tommy has sold his soul to Satan by rejoining Boyz Attack. I'd say it's safe to say that you two are the melodramatic ones," he teased.

Jude chuckled and pulled away from Jamie's shoulder to face him. "Thanks for being my best friend, Jamie," she said sincerely.

He gave her a lopsided smiled. "You and I are always going to be friends, Jude, no matter what. But I think we both know that the best friend job was assumed by someone else awhile ago."

"That's not true," she protested.

Jamie shook his head. "Be honest with yourself. Who was the one person you wanted to talk to more than anyone else these past few months? Who did you want to vent to about your dad moving? How many times did you pick up the phone to call him, just because? He's the one you needed."

Jamie stood up then. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out two tickets. He handed them to Jude. "I pulled a few strings. I'm sure Sadie would love to go with you. And maybe you could get things back on track."

Jude looked at the tickets and then up at Jamie's face. "Thank you," Jude said. She stood up and hugged him; when she pulled away she offered him a smile. "This probably isn't the best time to mention this, but I think I'm going to have to resign as a producer for NBR," she told him.

"How about we just call it a leave of absence?" Jamie suggested. "That way you know they'll always be a place for you."

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Loud banging on his apartment door work Tommy early Monday morning. He briefly wondered who the doorman had let come up, but the thought passed as the pounding continued. Bleary eyed, he finally opened the door only to reach out and try to shut it again when he saw who it was.

Darius pushed the door back open. "Still not a morning person, I see," he commented as he pushed past Tommy.

"It's early. What are you doing here?" Tommy followed his unwanted guest into the living room.

"It's after ten," Darius pointed out.

"Yeah, well, we rehearsed until four this morning, so it's early for me," Tom countered.

Darius faced Tommy and held a CD filled Jewel case up.

"What's that?" he eyed the case warily.

"New songs," Darius said.

"No way, D. The album's done, we're not adding anything else," Tommy protested.

"New songs from Jude."

Tommy stopped in his place and stared at the case. "Why are you showing me?"

"You're her producer. I want you to take a listen, tell me what you think."

"Darius, she doesn't want me producing…I don't think…"

"Don't think," Darius commanded. "Just listen."

Reluctantly Tommy took the CD from Darius' hand. He walked over to the elaborate stereo system, put the disc in and pushed play.

_For all I know, you could be near  
and every breath I take, you could feel  
For all I know, you're just a thought that crossed my mind  
What I wouldn't give to live that thought of mine._

_For all I know nothing's changed  
Nothing ever will if I don't leave this place  
For all I know, you're waiting for me to whisper your name  
What I wouldn't give to kiss your sweet face_

_Cause all I know is I need you here  
And all I have, I would give away so I could say this dear  
All I feel, oh I tried so hard to not feel  
It's killing me_

_For all I know, you forgot me  
For all I know, you're different, completely  
And everything we had was never what I thought it was  
But for all I know, oh it was love._

_Cause all I know is I need you here  
All I have, I would give away so I could say this dear  
All I feel, oh I tried so hard to not feel  
It's killing me_

_Now everyone has a name  
And every face always somehow looks the same  
I always feel so alone, especially when it rains  
For all I know, boy, you do the same, yeah_

_Yeah I didn't know that I need you here  
All I had, I gave away cause I was still afraid to feel  
All I feel, oh I tried so hard to not feel  
It's killing me, it's killing me_

_For all I know_

"When did she do this?" he finally asked when he could find his voice.

"She showed up at the studio on Friday night. Told me she lied about not writing anything and shoved a notebook full of stuff at me. She and Kwest worked nonstop through yesterday. This demo was on my desk this morning. Four new songs," Darius explained, unable to hide his pleased grin.

The next three songs played, each different, but Jude's voice, her expressiveness and the emotion behind the vocals were all the same. Haunting and powerful, beautiful contradictions. The songs were excellent, the mixes well done and yet all Tommy could think was that he desperately wanted them to mean something, to be some kind of message for him. But it couldn't be, even though it seemed like she was speaking directly to him.

Darius eyed Tommy curiously for a moment. "Why don't you keep this and listen to it some more. Maybe take notes and get back to me on it." He started to leave. "By the way, some guy is selling a cell phone on e-bay. He says it's yours and that it's got a mailbox full of messages from Jude Harrison. He claims he found it at the airport. You might want to look into that."

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

"Do you really think this is necessary?" Jude whined as she and Sadie made their way to the Boyz Attack concert. Jude's eyes were glued to the visor mirror as her sister drove. Her distinctive blonde bob was covered with a long brunette wig, topped off with one of those stupid fedora hats that Karma liked to wear.

Sadie chuckled. "Yes. I do. The paparazzi are looking for you, thanks to the latest news story."

Jude groaned and flipped the visor back up. "I hope that phone thing is a fluke. Although it would certainly explain why Tommy never called me back. If it's real, though, some weirdo guy is about to be the owner of more than fifty random messages from me to Tommy. They'll probably leak them to the press and play the messages along side my crying interview…how humiliating."

"I wish I'd thought of it," Sadie teased. "If that guy can get $2,000 for your supposed phone messages, imagine what I'd get for a pair of your underwear." She wiggled her eyebrows and Jude laughed but quickly scowled.

"That's so gross, Sadie." But she knew her sister was trying to make her feel better.

"Relax, Jude."

She readjusted her wig. "I wish I could. I just, I don't even know what I'm doing here. What if I see him and he tells me to scram?"

"When has Tommy ever said 'scram'?" Sadie questioned.

Jude gave her a 'duh' look. "Uh, how about every time Speed's around?"

"Oh yeah, I guess so. But still, he's not going to say it to you."

"I hope not."

"Well, it's too late to back out now," Sadie informed her, "Because we're here." She pulled the car into the VIP garage next to the theater and gave her name to the parking attendant who quickly ushered them through.

As they exited the car Sadie hissed "Sunglasses" and Jude hastily grabbed the shades from her bag and put them on.

"Here's to 'incognito'," she mumbled as they made their way out of the garage and into the theater.

The place was packed. Girls and women from ages 6 to 60 took up every available space. As Jude got shoved aside by a rather large young man wearing a too-small Little Tommy Q shirt, she amended her assessment. Girls and boys, men and women of every age were everywhere.

"Sadie…Tommy's face is on everyone's chest. It's kind of freaking me out," she whispered loudly above the din of concert goers.

"I wish I would have worn my shirt," Sadie pouted.

Jude rolled her eyes and followed her sister into the theater to grab their seats.

"You know, for a small VIP performance there sure are a lot of people here," Jude commented as the usher led them to their row.

"Oh, that's just PR spin to help boost sales and make the fans think it's worth paying $100 a ticket," Sadie explained. "Darius is really very good at what he does."

Jude frowned. "How come I never got to give a VIP concert?"

"Uh…maybe because sixty year old women won't wear your face on their chests?"

Jude ignored her and instead focused on the empty stage. She needed to figure out what she was going to do. Their seats weren't good enough for her to just hop on the stage and that probably wouldn't be allowed anyway. Maybe she could sneak backstage, pretend to be some floozy groupie and wait for Tommy there.

"Jude," Sadie tapped her shoulder. "You should probably take off your shades now."

"I'll get noticed!"

"If you don't, you'll be the only person wearing sunglasses indoors," Sadie pointed out.

"Celebrities do it all the time," she protested.

Sadie gave her a pointed look.

"Oh…right." Jude reached up and removed the sunglasses. "Does the hair still look okay?"

"You look fine. Just relax. All you have to do is watch the show. And if I were you I'd refrain from making any sarcastic comments about boy bands. This crowd looks like it could get rough." Sadie's eyes darted around her.

Jude agreed. The fans did look a little scary.

The theater lights flickered and started to go down as the noise from the crowd increased. The fans started to scream and chant 'Boyz Attack'. Next to Jude a large chested, older woman, wearing a shirt with Chaz's face on it- thank god it wasn't Tommy's- was jumping up and down, her body jiggling violently with her efforts. Jude scooted closer to Sadie, a little afraid for her life.

The theater went completely dark, the screaming crescendoed and then the stage light flashed brightly revealing the illuminated bodies of five men; their faces in shadow. Jude grinned as she immediately spotted Tommy. She'd recognize his body anywhere, she'd studied it enough in the studio, and he was wearing his usual uniform of jeans, t-shirt, button down shirt and a suit jacket. The other guys were all dressed similarly; not a pair of parachute pants in sight.

Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as the stage lights changed and the guys' grinning faces were revealed. Sadie squealed next to her and grabbed Jude's arm in excitement.

Jude couldn't take her eyes off Tommy. He looked amazing and he was smiling and she realized then that she was really looking forward to seeing him perform.

Laughter bubbled up from her throat as they launched into their first hit "Liquid Dreams". She could hear Sadie singing along with the song as the band sang about the kind of girls they dreamed about. There was a large screen set up behind the stage, and as the song went on, pictures of girls from the audience flashed up on the screen interspersed with pictures of female celebrities. The girls in the audience went wild as they saw themselves. Even Jude's heart sped up when her own picture popped up. She felt very much like a giggling fan-girl. It took a second for her to recognize the picture. It wasn't of her in the audience. It was a picture that Tommy had taken of her with his phone one day when they were messing around in the studio, grinning at him from inside the booth.

Sadie squeezed Jude's hand and smiled reassuringly at her sister. "Are you okay?" she mouthed.

Jude nodded and looked back at the stage as the guys finished out the song. They sang two more songs then, older hits that had been redone. As they sang they continued to move around, charming the fans. They didn't do any dancing but they definitely worked the stage. As the third song finished Chaz came around to center stage and started talking to the audience. He thanked them for coming out and supporting Boyz Attack. Then he introduced all of the members, saving Tommy for last.

Jude remembered seeing a video of one of their old concerts. Sadie had gotten it for her birthday one year. She remembered laughing hysterically when Little Tommy Q was introduced. He'd been cute, for sure, but he'd also been a cocky idiot and it had been funny to watch him saunter forward and then turn around and shake his 18 year old ass at the audience. Fast forward eight years and the audience was still going crazy for Tom Quincy, only this time, there was no ass shaking as he smiled and waved at the fans.

"Because you all are so special to us, we wanted to do something really special for you. So we've got some new songs we'd like to play for you. Is that okay?" Tommy paused while the cheering went on. As it continued he chuckled and shook his head as if in disbelief.

Jude could tell that, despite everything, he was enjoying it. She knew the rush that came with stepping on that stage; the thrill of the fans singing along to your songs, chanting your name.

"This next song is one of the news ones. We hope you like it." A stage hand came up behind Tommy then, holding a guitar. He waited while Tommy took off his suit jacket and then traded it for the guitar. Girls started screaming.

Jude smirked as she saw him shake his head with amusement. He moved to join the others center stage where they were all seated on stools. A mic stand was set up in front of the middle stool and Tommy quickly took a seat.

She'd never seen him perform like this. Sure, they'd played together all the time and worked on hundreds of different songs together. And he'd even sung to her a few times, but it wasn't the same as this. He was clearly in his element; a natural performer and even the boybandishness of it didn't detract from the fact that she loved seeing him like this.

"They're doing so good," Sadie said excitedly. Jude agreed as Tommy strummed along with the other musicians and sang. The new song was called "I Still" and she actually liked it. It wasn't the same boyband pop style they'd perfected in the 90's. It was still their style but it was updated and fresh. And as she listened to the song, she desperately wanted it to have some kind of deeper, hidden meaning, something directed at her.

The song ended and they segued into another one, this one a little bit slower. When it was finished the guys stood and the guitar was taken away. Two more songs from their earlier albums were performed as remixes of the originals. Jude had to admit that she didn't recognize all of them. But Sadie didn't have that problem. She was still singing along.

The concert itself was good. Jude could see and hear Tommy's involvement in all of it. Not just the obvious singing and performing but in the song arrangements and remixes. She could tell that he'd worked hard despite being forced into it. He'd made the best of the situation and not only was she humbled by it but she was proud of him for what he'd accomplished.

Her eyes prickled with tears and she quickly willed them away. She was being silly. They hadn't even done any ballads yet and she was getting stupidly emotional.

As if her thoughts prompted it, the tempo of the music changed and slowed down. A spotlight shone down on a piano and a large strings section was illuminated. Tommy sat down in front of the piano. He adjusted the microphone and spoke. "This next song is another new one. In fact, it's going to be the first single off the album. It hits radio stations tomorrow." He paused. "The song is called 'Incomplete' and, well, it means a lot to me. I wrote it about a month ago and it's about someone that's, let's just say she's important to me."

Jude stopped breathing as his fingers moved over the piano keys and he played the opening bars.

_Empty spaces fill me up with holes  
Distant faces with no place left to go  
Without you within me I can't find no rest  
Where I'm going is anybody's guess_

_I tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete_

He was singing it himself, the other guys harmonizing. The strings picked up and Jude felt goosebumps cover her body.

_Voices tell me I should carry on  
But I am swimming in an ocean all alone  
Baby, my baby  
It's written on your face  
You still wonder if we made a big mistake_

She took a shuddering breath and the tears she'd tried so hard to will away fell down her cheeks in earnest as she realized that he hadn't moved on, that maybe he still loved her too.

_I tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete_

_I don't mean to drag it on, but I can't seem to let you go  
I don't wanna make you face this world alone  
Don't wanna let you go (alone)_

Her hand shook as she reached up to wipe at her wet cheeks. It was a futile effort as every word of the song touched her, his meaning taking hold of her heart. The song was beautiful, amazingly done and quite obviously a labor of love; just like everything else he'd done for her.

_I tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete_

_Incomplete_

As the last notes faded out, Tommy's hands lifted from the keys and his head bowed. The crowd roared with applause. The smile he offered looked forced.

Jude turned to Sadie. "I have to…" she started to choke and gestured wildly at the stage.

Sadie shook her head. "Just go, Jude. Go!"

She nodded at her sister and tried to push her way out of the aisle, mumbling barely polite 'excuse me's' as she went.

From there she rushed outside of the main theater into the lobby and started to frantically search for access to backstage. It took her a few minutes and some fast talking but she made her way through the maze and finally ended up offstage and located Darius.

She tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around. His eyebrow rose as he looked her over. "Can't say that I'm surprised to see you here," he smirked.

Jude jerked the wig and hat off. "I'm going to need a favor and I'm definitely prepared to make a deal or two."

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY  
TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Last part…thanks for the all the feedback! It's great! Just a quick disclaimer. The songs used in this were either by Kelly Clarkson for Jude or the Backstreet Boys and O Town. I don't own them or any of the Instant Star characters. Enjoy! And Thanks for reading!

Part 3

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

He followed the others off stage after the last song, his heart thudding wildly in he chest, ears ringing from the applause.

Chaz slapped Tommy on the back, grinning from ear to ear. "Don't you love it?" he exclaimed. "Damn that feels good!"

Tommy grinned back. It did feel good.

And the audience was still screaming and clapping.

"Encore time," Chaz said, shuffling excitedly on his feet.

Tom nodded. He was pleased; everything had gone well and the new songs had been well received, especially 'Incomplete'.

One of the stagehands handed Tommy a new shirt and he quickly removed the old sweaty ones and pulled it on. Two more songs for the encore followed by a couple of hours of autographs and he could go home and sleep for twelve hours before the next public appearance.

He was pulling the shirt over his head when the audience started to go crazy. Not regular crazy, but 'something is going on' crazy. The other guys were still next to him so he wasn't sure what was happening until he heard a throat clear over the speaker system.

"Sorry to interrupt the show, but I sort of have a new song that I wanted to play for someone that's, uhm, very important to me."

Tommy stopped and slowly turned to see out onto the stage. He knew that voice. He'd know it anywhere.

Jude.

His eyes confirmed what he was hearing and he watched her. She had grabbed a stool and a guitar and placed a mic in front of her. Her short blond hair was messy and she seemed a little pale under the harsh stage lights but he thought he'd never seen anyone more beautiful.

She started to strum the guitar and then the voice that he loved to hear, that he'd missed so much, began to sing.

_I'm strong_

_But I break_

_I'm stubborn_

_And I make plenty of mistakes_

_Yeah I'm hard_

_And life with me is never easy_

_To figure out, to love _

_I'm jaded but oh so lovely_

_All you have to do is hold me_

_And you'll know and you'll see just how sweet it can be _

_If you'll trust me, love me, let me_

_Maybe, maybe_

_Someday _

_When we're at the same place_

_When we're on the same road_

_When it's okay to hold my hand_

_Without feeling lost_

_Without all the excuses_

_When it's just because you love me, you let me, you need me_

_Then maybe, maybe_

_All you have to do is hold me_

_And you'll know and you'll see just how sweet it can be _

_If you'll trust me, love me, let me_

_Maybe, maybe_

_I'm confusing as hell_

_I'm north and south_

_And I'll probably never have it all figured out_

_But what I know is I wasn't meant to walk this world without you_

_And I promise I'll try_

_Yeah I'm gonna try to give you every little part of me_

_Every single detail you missed with your eyes_

_Then maybe_

_Maybe, yeah maybe_

_One day_

_We'll meet again and you'll need me, you'll see me completely_

_Every little bit_

_Oh yeah maybe you'll love me, you'll love me then_

_I don't want to be tough_

_And I don't want to be proud_

_I don't need to be fixed and I certainly don't need to be found_

_I'm not lost _

_I need to be loved_

_I just need to be loved_

_I just want to be loved by you and I won't stop 'cause I believe_

_That maybe, yeah maybe_

_Maybe, yeah maybe_

_I should know better than to touch the fire twice_

_But I'm thinking maybe, yeah maybe you might_

_Maybe, love maybe_

He couldn't move. He stood glued to his spot while she sang, pouring her heart out. All he could do was absorb it.

At the last word, as she held out the note, her eyes closed and his feet came unglued. He made his way onto the stage, vaguely aware of Darius holding the rest of the group back.

The audience was on their feet and as he got closer the cheers got louder. Jude turned her head in his direction and their eyes locked.

She stood up and moved toward him until there were only a few feet between them.

And it was like they were the only two people there.

"You sure know how to upstage a guy," he finally said with his patented smirk.

She offered him a shy, unsure smile. Her eyes were big and he could see unshed tears in them as she whispered the words "I'm sorry."

Without explanation he knew what she meant and while the stubborn, ego driven part of him wanted to make her work hard to win him back, the part that loved her, that had ached for her, won out and he quickly closed the distance between them, opening his arms to her.

Jude had never been the kind of girl to do things in half-measures and she didn't disappoint him when she launched herself into his arms.

Their mouths met and it was like getting water after a drought. Like coming home. Her lips were softer than he remembered and with each brush against them, he wanted more. He deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth where it was eagerly received. Her urgency matched his and her hands fisted into his hair while his roamed down her slight frame, pulling her more closely to him. She tasted like berry lip-gloss and salty tears and he wanted to do nothing but hold her against him and kiss her forever.

Darius had to send Chaz onto the stage to pry their lips apart, much to the amusement of the audience, most of who were surprisingly happy for the couple and on their feet clapping. Although there were a few sad faces bemoaning the fact that Tom Quincy was obviously no longer single.

"As much as your reunion warms my heart, we have an encore to finish," Chaz told them.

Tommy smiled and nodded. He grinned at Jude and her kiss-swollen mouth. She smiled back and started to leave the stage, but he quickly pulled her back.

"Stay," he insisted. "Help with the next song."

She started to protest, but he stopped her with a finger to her lips.

"I know you know it," he teased and leaned down to steal another kiss.

She caved. Tommy took the mic Chaz held out to him and gestured back stage for another mic for Jude. Once she had it they walked to the front of the stage to join the other guys.

"In case you didn't already know, the beautiful woman standing next to me is Jude Harrison," Tommy told the crowd. They cheered and Jude blushed and waved. "Jude's going to help us out with this next song. It's uh…well, it's actually kind of special for us."

Jude laughed when the opening notes for "Put Me Back Together Again" played. He squeezed her hand and she realized just how appropriate the words to the song were. Ever since she'd met him they'd been saving each other in one way or another. This song held some good memories for her, the charity telethon concert and the girls' school private bathroom and she had a feeling that it would contribute and play a part in many more.

When the song was over he brought the hand that he still held up to his lips and kissed her palm before she left the stage so the band could perform their last song.

She couldn't stop smiling and she could see that his smile hadn't faded. Even as the song was ending, he was grinning. He gave the audience a quick bow, and instead of lingering like the other guys he made his way offstage towards Jude.

His arms wrapped around her waist and he stared down into her eyes.

"Don't you have autographs that you need to sign?" she whispered as he rested his forehead against hers.

He shook his head, rubbing their noses together with the movement. "I'm not letting you out of my sight. It's been too long."

She nodded her agreement and brushed her lips against his. "Let's get out of here then, just us."

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

The apartment door slammed against the wall as the entwined bodies fumbled their way inside. His hands cupped her thighs and he urged her legs up until they were wrapped around his waist while their mouths fused together in a series of heated kisses. Jude's hands frantically pulled at Tommy's shirt. She wanted the barrier gone, wanted to feel his skin.

His hands shifted from her denim-clad thighs to her ass, cupping it as she moved, rubbing against him in a jerky motion as he tried to make his way to the bedroom. One hand shot out against the wall as he was distracted by the kisses she peppered all over his face and then down along his throat.

Maybe it was rushing things, being that they'd only been back together for less than two hours, but they both wanted what was about to happen.

Initially, they had decided to talk and Tommy had commandeered one of the band's limos to take them back to his place. The closer they got, the less they talked until the tension finally broke in the elevator when they simultaneously reached for each other. Talking was overrated anyway; this was something that was long overdue. They had literally waited for years for the timing to be right. Nothing else mattered.

"I love you," she blurted out between kisses as her fingers raked through his hair.

They had made it to the bedroom by then and Tommy stopped in front of his unmade bed. At her words he slowly lowered her to the mattress until she was sitting on the edge of the bed. He cupped her face in his hands. "I love you, too. So much," he returned. He was giving her that look, the one that he saved just for her. And their lips met again, this time less frantic. Now it was about savoring, remembering…feeling every touch.

Her hands were tentative when they reached out to touch him again. They slid under the hem of his shirt and moved upward, bunching the fabric until he was forced to raise his arms so she could pull it off. He watched her face as she looked at him. He wanted to groan out loud as she bit her lip nervously and reached out a finger to trace the muscled planes of his abdomen. For a moment he let the exploration continue until the need for his own expedition became too great. He grabbed her finger and stopped the movement. As he drew her hand away from his body, he kissed her palm and the left a soft trail of kisses up her forearm, gently nipping at the crease of her elbow and then up further until he reached the sleeve of her t-shirt.

Her breathing became unsteady as his hands took the place of his lips and traced over the shirt fabric to the swell of her breasts. His fingertip left a trail of sensation straight to the peaked nipple, drawing a circle around it as a gasp escaped her mouth.

Her shirt ended up on the floor with his, quickly forgotten, with her bra following soon after. His mouth traced the same path his finger had and Jude's back arched against the soft sheets as she cried out at the sensation. He kissed the valley between her breasts all the way up to her throat where he nipped the base before soothing the bite with his tongue. His hands were not idle and had succeeded at unbuttoning her jeans and his own.

"Jude?" He questioned softly as he started to push down the jeans and the panties beneath them. He wanted her, to the point where he'd give up anything, but he wanted to be sure that she was with him, one hundred percent.

She looked at him, a dazed question in her eyes. "What's wrong? Don't stop…"

"Are you sure?"

She nodded and offered him a grin. "The only thing I'm not sure of is why we didn't do this before," she tossed out.

He smiled and kissed her. "It might have had something to do with the whole 'jail bait' thing."

"Good thing that's not an issue anymore." She lifted her head and pressed her lips to his, urging his mouth open, sliding her tongue seductively against his. "I want you," she whispered against his lips when the kiss broke. "I've wanted this for a long time, Quincy."

He didn't need to say 'me too' for her to know that he felt the same way.

The rest of the clothes disappeared until they were pressed together, skin to skin, heated and flushed as they took the time to explore what their nakedness now revealed.

"I knew you'd be beautiful," he whispered as he ran a hand up her leg towards her hip and over her stomach until he was cupping her breast.

"I figured you'd be too," she answered, her hands exploring his back and the taut muscles of his abdomen.

The touching became more focused, the slide of their bodies more urgent until he was nestled between her legs, the tip of his penis probing the tight entrance of her body. For a moment he struggled for control. He wasn't even inside her and he was about to lose it, but as he looked into her eyes and saw the anticipation and hesitancy there, he knew he had to go slow. He had to make this good for her.

Her hands on his waist moved lowered, urging his hips forward until he was completely sheathed inside her. He closed his eyes as he felt her surround him and took a deep breath to steady himself. When he opened his eyes a moment later he looked down into her face and his chest tightened. Her big blue eyes were bright, clouded with a mixture of passion and awe as a few silent tears escaped down her cheeks.

He held himself still as she cradled him between her thighs, inside her body. "This is special," he said softly as he leaned his forehead against hers. "I've never loved anyone like this before."

They moved together, slowly, adjusting to the feel of one another until the need made them more frantic, urging them on. As she felt him moving inside her it wasn't just her body she gave him, but her heart, without any hesitation. And with each thrust, each moan, she felt him give himself in return, finally making her whole.

The sensations built, tension coiled and her nails raked down his back as her entire world shattered with sensation, his name a ragged cry on her lips.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

It was early morning. They lay in Tommy's bed, facing each other, their heads sharing a pillow as they stared.

His hand traced circles on her naked breast. "You're beautiful," he told her and watched as she blushed.

She bit her lip and he knew that she was nervous and worried.

"I'm so sorry for the last six months," she blurted out.

Tommy put a finger to her lips to stop her from going on. Once Jude decided to apologize, she could go on forever and he didn't want to break up this morning after moment with thoughts of apologies. He had plenty of his own to make, but they could wait.

"Don't be sorry. I'm not saying that I don't wish we could have been together, but I think that everything that's happened was worth it to be here with you now."

"I love you," she told him. It had already been said at least a dozen times in the last few hours but neither of them was tired of saying or hearing it.

He gave her a kiss and resumed his light caresses.

" And I love the new Boyz Attack songs," she admitted, offering him a sheepish smile.

He grinned. "You should. You inspired them." He paused. "Darius let me listen to the new songs you recorded with Kwest. They're…amazing."

"They're about you."

He smirked. "Even when we're apart, we're not really that far from each other." As soon as the words left his mouth Jude started to giggle.

He frowned at her. "What's so funny?"

She shook her head, laughter still in her voice. "Nothing, it's just that this is such a sappy romantic movie moment. We're being so cheesy."

"I think we're entitled," he countered, trying to stay serious but unable to when faced with her infectious smile. He loved that smile…and her laugh and it occurred to him that he wanted to spend the rest of his life seeing and hearing both those things.

They were back to just staring at each other again, enjoying the silence and the moment.

He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears. "Did I tell you how much I love your hair?" he said as he fingered the short strands.

Jude's expression grew serious. "I felt restless after you were gone. It was an impulse," she admitted.

"It suits you."

Her eyes told him thank you as did her lips as she closed the small gap between them and kissed him. When she pulled back, the serious expression was still present. "Why didn't you tell me you sold the viper?" she asked.

Tommy shrugged. "It wasn't important."

"You did it to protect me."

At her words he turned his head away and rolled onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. Jude propped her head up on her hand and looked down at his face. "You also made a deal with Darius for my music library and he made you rejoin Boyz Attack." She said it as a statement, not a question. She wasn't asking for confirmation because she already knew the truth. "Why?" she whispered.

He looked at her face, his eyes searching hers for a moment. "You know why," he finally said.

She nodded. "I understand. Because I made a deal with Darius too."

Surprised by her admission, Tommy started to sit up, but Jude's hand pushed him back down and she shifted her body so that she was on top of him, her thighs straddling his hips, skin to skin. The position change had the desired effect and for a moment they were both distracted by the sensations.

"What kind of deal?" Tommy asked. He admired Jude's distraction tactics, but he wouldn't be deterred.

She rubbed her nose against his. "It's not that big of deal. I didn't promise him our first born or anything," she teased. "Although Darius would probably sign the kid while it was still in the womb."

The idea of he and Jude and babies tightened Tommy's chest, in a good way. It definitely didn't scare him.

"So if we get to keep our first born, what did you promise him?" His fingers moved up and down her spine, the touch light and teasing.

"I sort of, actually, blackmailed him and said that I wouldn't go back in the studio again unless he let me sing for you last night. And then I explained that I was hiding the masters for the songs I just recorded."

Tommy laughed. "You're sort of, actually, kind of devious."

"Yes, well that's not all," she kissed his cheek and let her fingers trail idly over his collarbone. "Someone has to keep the Boyz Attack men in line while they're on their mini tour. I strongly suggested that it be me, although at the time that was contingent on your reaction to the song."

"So you're going on tour with us?" Suddenly the idea of six weeks on the road didn't seem so bad.

"Actually, Darius was talking about maybe integrating me into the show a little bit. I mean…I can't promise to get all the dance moves right but…do you think you could handle sharing the stage?"

"Oh, I think that's doable. And as for the dance moves…we might need to work on that…alone and naked…" His mouth captured hers, both of them grinning through the kiss. After a moment, Jude pulled away, breathless.

"And then after the tour is all done we can get back in the studio and finish my album?" She looked down at him with eager anticipation.

"Co-producers?"

Jude nodded. "Co-producers. I think that we make an excellent team."

He answered with another kiss, this one quickly becoming heated.

"We should stop," Jude protested, her words unconvincing between kisses.

His lips brushed along the base of her throat, "Why?"

She moaned as their lower bodies rubbed together. "You have an interview this morning. You're already late."

"I don't really care." His mouth moved away from her throat down her chest toward the pointed nipples that were brushing erotically against his chest.

"Darius will be mad…" her voice trailed off and she sucked in a deep breath as his fingers moved between their bodies and stopped only when they reached the moist center between her thighs.

"Don't…care…" his breathing was as erratic as her own.

He flipped them over so that she was beneath him, giving him better access to all the body parts he was eager to explore.

"You have to go," she breathed even as her back arched, pushing her breasts closer to the damp heat of his mouth, causing his lips to brush against a turgid nipple.

"There are four other guys," he told her and trailed his mouth down her belly. Her hands fisted in his hair and forced him to look up at her.

"I can't think when you're doing that," she told him as their eyes met.

He smirked, "So don't think, Harrison."

And so she didn't, at least not for the next forty-five minutes. She was lying on the wrecked bed, exhausted but satisfied and, thanks to the shower they had just shared, squeaky clean. She watched lazily from her position wrapped around Tommy's pillow as he pulled his clothes together to get dressed.

"Promise you won't go anywhere?" He leaned over her after he was dressed, his hands on the mattress on either side of her head.

"I promise. I'll stay right here and wait for you," she smiled and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

He smirked. "I know you too well, Jude Harrison. The minute I leave you're going to go back to sleep. You won't even care that I'm gone."

"That is completely untrue. Okay, well the part about not caring that you're leaving is untrue. I probably will go to sleep." She saw his knowing smirk and shoved at his chest. "I wouldn't be so tired if someone hadn't completely worn me out." She didn't really sound that upset by that and her words only made his smile bigger.

He kissed her lips and then her forehead, brushing his finger tenderly against her cheek. "I love you. I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised.

"Go already, so I can raid your refrigerator and watch your big screen TV."

He gave her another quick kiss and he was gone.

She sighed as she watched him go. It was amazing how much a person's life could change in 24 hrs. Yesterday at the same time she was in her lonely bed, wide awake, wondering if she'd ever see Tommy again, wondering if he'd ever even forgive her. Now she was in his bed, and more importantly, his heart.

She knew that she'd made a mistake letting him go the first time, but it was a mistake that she never intended to make again. They had found their way back to each other, and she knew that they'd work through their issues. It might take time. She was still young, on the cusp of major stardom. He had already been through everything she was just starting to experience. But he could guide her through it like he'd been doing since they first met. And she could finally love him the way she'd always wanted to, the way he deserved to be, even if he didn't always believe it.

It felt right this time. The secret wish she'd had in her heart since she was 15 years old was finally coming true. She saw it in his eyes when he looked at her. The two of them together, forever. Complete.


End file.
